[Illustration:  Fig. 50.  Binding the Bow.]

[Illustration:  Drifting down the Scheiners’ Brook.]

[Illustration:  Paddling in the Old Scow.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 51.  The Trigger.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 52.  The Trigger Set for Firing.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 53.  The Umbrella Rib Crossbow.]

Megaphone.

[Illustration:  Fig. 54.  The Megaphone.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 55.  Layout of the Megaphone.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 56 Brass Fastener.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 57.  The Mouthpiece.]

Another device we made in preparation for the expedition was a megaphone.  A sheet of light cardboard 30 inches square was procured.  At the center of one edge a pin was stuck into the cardboard, then a piece of stout thread was looped over the pin and the two ends were knotted together just 5 inches from the pin.  Another knot was a also made 29 inches from the pin.  Now, with a pencil hooked into the loop, and resting first against the inner knot and then against the outer one, two arcs were drawn on the paper, one of 5-inch radius and the other of 29-inch radius.  A line was now drawn from the pin to the point where the longer arc met the right hand edge of the paper, and a dotted line was drawn from the pin to a point 1-1/2 inches from the edge at the other end of the arc.  From a point 1 inch to the left of the pin we then drew a line to the left end of the arc.  With a scissors we cut the cardboard along the arcs and straight lines, all but the dotted line, leaving a piece of the shape shown in Fig. 55.  This piece was rolled into a cone with the right edge lapped over the left edge and lying against the dotted line.  In this position it was held by means of several brass fasteners of the kind shown in Fig. 56.

A mouthpiece was formed out of a block of wood in which a large hole had been drilled.  The block was then cut away until the walls were quite thin.  The hole was reamed out at the top, as shown in Fig. 57, and the outer surface was tapered so that the small end of the megaphone would fit snugly on it.

We planned to reach our camping grounds by way of the canal, and had provided for that purpose a large scow, which we expected to tow up to Lumberville and drag over to the river.

The Scow.

[Illustration:  Fig. 58.  Side pieces of the Scow.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 59.  Frame of the Scow.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 60.  Nailing on the Bottom.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 61.  Sockets for Rowlocks.]

Our scow was made as follows:  Two 3/4-inch pine boards, 12 inches wide and 12 feet long, were selected from Reddy’s father’s lumber pile.  These were used for the side pieces of the boat, and we tapered them off at the end to a width 3-1/2 inches.  This was done by making a straight cut from the end to a point three feet back along the edge of the board and then rounding off the edge with a draw-knife.